Centre for Sustainability Leadership

Gina Prendergast

Gina switched from a career in the Healing Arts four years ago to join one of the top four banks where she is now a Team Leader.

Gina, in addition to this role, leads a grassroots green team named S.A.V.E (Staff Assisting our Valuable Environment) – where within their commercial building site have improved commingled paper, cartridge, mobile phone, and technology recycling rates. They also encourage turning off computer screens and lights, saving water and double-sided printing.  She has also coordinated and promoted events such as Ride to Work Day, International Business Clean Up Day, Earth Hour, World Environment Day, green volunteering, and sends out a fortnightly e-letter which encourages a greener lifestyle at work and at home.

Gina wants to achieve something big in her lifetime. She hopes to gain a clearer direction from the Fellowship Program so that she can channel her passion whilst developing great networks and skills for success.

Emily Boucher

Emily has worked in Local Government for the last five years across a number of environmental divisions, including water and waste. In her current role as Environment Officer at the City of Kingston, Emily is responsible for reducing the Council’s energy use and overall environmental footprint. Throughout her time in local government, Emily has focused on educating and inspiring others to make changes that will permanently reduce human impacts on the environment.

Emily’s love and connection with the earth began when she was a little girl, spending holidays visiting her Grandfather’s wheat and sheep farm in central Victoria. Grandpa Wishart shared with her the importance of caring for the land, and he taught Emily to understand the delicate balance between the needs of the human and natural environment. It was no surprise to anyone when Emily enrolled to study Environmental Science at University many years later.

Emily knows the solutions lie within each of us; she values diversity and is passionate about creating an environment where ideas flourish. Emily is hoping the Fellowship Program gives her the skills, contacts and confidence to become a Local Government leader.

Megan Argyriou

Megan Argyriou has a Bachelor in Film and Television, and a Graduate Certificate in Advertising. During this time, she realized that she had to change the unsustainable practices of the screen industry, so much so that making it greener is her raison d’être. In 2008, she initiated and implemented an industry strategy for Film Victoria, aimed at making the Victorian screen production industry greener. She now has her sights set squarely on expanding her strategy nationally.

Megan is currently completing an MBA (Environmental Sustainability), whilst working part time at the Monash Sustainability Institute and starting her own sustainability consultancy.

Megan has also completed Australia’s only certified Carbon Accounting course through Swinburne’s National Centre for Sustainability, and Resource Smart training through Sustainability Victoria/ Monash Sustainability Institute. She has also had the good fortune of spending two years working with a group of science professors in the Environmental Energy division of the International Energy Agency, based in Paris.

Eyal Halamish

Eyal is a strategic advisor at Futureye. He works with companies and government agencies, in the minerals and natural resources industries, to stimulate thinking and strategically challenge their corporate approaches to sustainability and in doing so create better societal outcomes for all stakeholders.

As a new generation ‘activist in a suit’, Eyal hopes that his time in the Fellowship Program will help to blend his passion for international relations and community development with his experience in the resources sector in order to radically transform the ways in which our economic and social value systems operate.

Ciaran MacCormaic

Ciaran has recently returned from setting up a pilot business plan competition in Kenya for WWF and BiD Network Foundation. The competition is based on the ‘trade not aid’ concept of international development. The aim is to avoid reliance on international donors by investing in small nature-based businesses that address environmental degradation while generating income for poor communities at the same time.

Ciaran is currently finishing off his Master of Environment and Sustainability at Monash University. He grew up on a dairy farm in Ireland and has worked in construction, TV ratings and English-teaching. Ciaran has since found his niche in sustainability roles, having worked for Conservation Volunteers Australia, Earthwatch Institute and as a CSR Advisor for Sensis before heading off to work in Africa.

Ciaran is really looking forward to learning from the experiences of the speakers and his mentor over the duration of the Fellowship Program. He believes that the program will be a great opportunity to build a network of friends who are also passionate about creating solutions for a carbon-constrained future.

Alex Houlston

Alex emigrated from the UK in 2008, after managing operations on a major urban renewal project in east London. As part of that role, he was responsible for initiating and project managing a pioneering ‘zero carbon’ refurbishment scheme, following a successful funding application to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. He contributed to the establishment of site waste management plans, in the UK’s nationwide ‘Code for Sustainable Homes’, through an innovative demolition project in partnership with the Building Research Establishment.

In his current role, Alex is involved in project managing and providing internal consultancy advice on the Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) features of residential building and redevelopment projects. He’s responsible for ensuring ESD is integrated into all capital work projects, through the implementation and coordination of pilot projects, the establishment of internal networks and the development of the business case through lifecycle assessments and analysis of new, ongoing and completed projects.

He’s been an active Project Management Institute qualified Project Management Professional since 2007, having studied Financial Management.

Alex believes that his interest in sustainability arose through his undergraduate studies in History, where he gained insight into how quickly wide-scale social and environmental changes can occur.

Jane Farago

Jane Farago has worked in various roles for academic, independent and commercial book publishers. She has also worked in Munich and London during her ten year career. More recently Jane was the Publications Manager at the Victoria Law Foundation, producing community legal information. This often involved partnerships with government, statutory bodies and community groups. She established a regular forum for legal sector publishers to raise standards and promote cooperation and coordination between disparate organisations.

Jane has decided that she can no longer sit back and leave the environmental challenges we face to others, and wants to convert a personal commitment into a career that will help make a difference. She is equally interested in grassroots, business model and political approaches, and hopes to leverage her experience in bringing different interests together to work on our environmental problems. The Fellowship Program will equip her with the skills to do so.

Melanie Szydzik

Melanie Szydzik is a lawyer who has recently commenced as the Senior Associate to Justice Davies at the Supreme Court of Victoria, having transferred to this position from the role of Senior Associate to Justice Pagone. Melanie has initiated and steered a number of successful sustainability initiatives, both in the courtroom and in her day-to-day life, including an amendment to the procedural law of Victoria allowing the filing of documents in the Supreme Court to be printed double-sided.

Melanie coordinated “Pedal Australia” for Clean Energy, which involved cycling around the perimeter of mainland Australia conducting environmental presentations at universities, schools and community groups.

Melanie is keen to continue working towards a sustainable future. By participating in the Fellowship Program she is hoping to build on the skills she has developed through her earlier projects.

Amy Kean

Amy is currently working with Pinpoint Earth to develop consumer programs which save energy and water. Her previous work includes establishing the South East Asia and Pacific, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership. She has also worked with the Clean Energy Council, Hydro Tasmania and the former Sustainable Energy Development Authority.

With experience in Government, Business and Non-Profit organisations, Amy is interested in the attitudes and languages of different companies and communities. Amy is excited about learning communication skills during the fellowship so she can speak the different societal languages and educate all on opportunities to respond to climate change.

Amy has lived in Melbourne for the past 3 years, previously living in Tasmania, Canada, Sweden and Sydney. She enjoys bike riding, tennis and exploring.

Amy’s passionate about developing practical solutions to address climate change and is actively working these solutions in her place of employment.

Monique Conheady

Monique is a co-founder and CEO of Flexicar. Flexicar is community car share service operating in Melbourne and Sydney. It offers a cheap, green and easy alternative to private car ownership. Founded in 2005, Flexicar currently has 70 vehicles and 2000 members.

An engineer by trade, Monique previously worked in the design and project management of various infrastructure projects; including a renewable energy program for remote Indigenous communities, and environmental planning and impact assessment studies for various urban development projects. During her time as an engineer she worked in Australia, England, America and Egypt.

Monique is passionate about finding new ways of doing business that are financially, socially and environmentally sustainable. She aspires to be a serial “eco-preneur”. She hopes that through the Fellowship Program she will develop new skills and knowledge, extend her networks and perhaps develop one of her other sustainable business ideas.

Ariana Bourke

Ariana was recently appointed as the Program Director for the Online Fellowship at the Centre for Sustainability Leadership.

Her ethical entrepreneurial mindset has taken her from a career in advertising to her current work in sustainability. She managed and developed London’s largest eco-aware, health and organic beauty centre before starting her own green business. Her company created a 300-page guide about sustainable living for the London market.

Before returning to Melbourne in 2009 she managed the rebranding for the renewable energy company, the RES group.

This year Ariana will be focusing on developing the pioneering online program at the Centre for Sustainability Leadership, and pursuing her interests around consumer attitude and behaviour change in relation to sustainable diets.

The Fellowship Program is a supportive space for Ariana to develop her skill set and networks, and ultimately her effectiveness in creating change.

Linh Do

Linh is a public speaker and the national director of Change&Switch, a youth led organisation that aims to amalgamate environmental and social justice issues. She completed her secondary education in 2008 as the overall VCAA VCE Achiever and is currently studying Arts (International Politics, Environmental Studies and French) at the University of Melbourne.

It wasn’t until 2006 that she began to consciously act sustainably. She initiated the campaign “Change A Million Light Bulbs” through social networks that year. Since then she has been trained by Al Gore through “The Climate Project”. She aims to attend the COP15 later this year, complete her degree and possibly study a post-graduate degree overseas before continuing her work with NGOs.

From the Fellowship Program, Linh hopes to gain valuable lifelong skills through the weekly workshops, further develop both personally and professionally, and possibly have an ‘a-ha moment’.

Nicola Rivers

Nicola is an environmental lawyer and Law Reform and Policy Director at the Environment Defenders Office. In that position she works with environment groups to identify environmental laws that could be improved to better protect the environment and try to convince government to change them.

She previously worked as a solicitor with the Environment Defenders Office in WA providing legal advice and community legal education to remote and regional communities.  She has also worked in the WA Government on water law and climate change and the Federal Attorney-General’s Department and Department of Environment on international environmental law and policy. Nicola has been concerned about environmental protection and social justice issues for many years and has volunteered with a number of legal and environmental non-profit organisations.

Through the Fellowship Program, Nicola is looking forward to learning new skills that will effect change and to work with other people who are passionate about the environment and sustainability.

Russell Hughes

Russell teaches in the School of Architecture and Design at RMIT University and will complete a PhD thesis in that area this year. His main interests are philosophies of the body that are, by association, the philosophies of the architecture that produce them.

Russell argues, if architecture was built to the specific needs of a spontaneously emergent “cognitive body”, such a coupling, we could accelerate our evolutionary capacity in the direction of enabling a greater knowledge of one’s place in a world of global warming, resource depletion and species extinction. This ambition involves increasing awareness as to ones position in relation to the six billion plus others who share this delicate ecosphere. Architecture is the interface between human beings and the ecology, and is charged with the task protecting and supporting both in equal proportion.

The goal of Russell’s participation in the Fellowship Program is to realise this design logic within the context of the Victorian State Governments “Melbourne 2030″ vision.

Nicky Scheltus

Nicky is currently working for Telstra’s Corporate Environment Group. She completed a science degree majoring in zoology and conservation biology at Monash University, and an Advanced Diploma in Conservation and Land Management.

During her time at Telstra Nicky has, among other things, established the Eco Champion network which educates and engages staff to get involved with environmental events and initiatives. This network has seen massive growth in the last twelve months, expanding by more than 70% across Telstra, with new staff eager to join every week.

Nicky describes herself as a first generation Aussie whose first passion extends to all things in the natural world and believes that addressing climate change should be our number one priority. She is excited to meet other Victorians who share her passion and want to inspire positive change in the community.

Nicky’s goal out of the Fellowship Program is to empower everyday people to understand climate change and take action to reduce their own environmental impact, and in turn our global footprint.

Adam von Einem

Adam has recently founded a sustainability consulting business with his wife. The consultancy aims to make sustainability simple, fun and assessable to the business world. Adam recognises the need for action in sustainability, and has witnessed a number of businesses wanting to do something about environmental issues, without knowing where to start. Adam works with businesses through education, workshops, and consulting services.

While Adam is an engineer by trade, he has spent most of his working life in business.  He has recently completed developing five eco-friendly town residences in Melbourne after returning from living in Bali, Indonesia where he was responsible for setting up and managing Rip Curl’s Asian business, as CEO Asia.  Prior to his overseas posting he worked as General Manager, Strategy and Business Development with Rip Curl in Torquay after his busy stint in the investment banking world where he was a Manager with Macquarie Bank.

Adam comes to the Fellowship program with a passion for sustainability and the outdoors. With his energy, drive and commitment to making a difference, Adam plans to utilise his experience with the Fellowship Program to help him make the world a better place through his newly found business endeavours.

Jennifer Rae

Jennifer is an interdisciplinary artist from Canada who is completing her Masters degree in Public Art, and commencing her PhD in the Art & Sustainability research cluster at RMIT University. Focusing on issues of sustainability, her research examines how public art can be a conduit for interaction, deep-learning, and behavioural change in cross-cultural contexts.

As an artist, Jen recognises the capacity she has to influence others and advocate for change in her community.  Her work is underpinned by the principles of creating a more sustainable world through creativity, relationships, capacity building and collaboration. Jennifer believes this specific subject matter expertise and dimension of thinking has the potential to create new entrepreneurial opportunities, practical tools, and approaches to social change for sustainability.

During her time in the Fellowship Program, Jennifer is keen to enhance her knowledge of social change, gain new leadership skills and develop further insight as to how she can transfer her expertise to other disciplines so as to optimise her own projects, and to contribute to the work of others.

Matthew Gordon

Matthew Gordon is a project manager in the Sustainable Solutions Unit at EPA Victoria. He is primarily responsible for delivering resource efficiency projects in partnership with the manufacturing industry. These projects aim to reduce the generation of hazardous industrial wastes, with the use of energy, water and raw materials.

Since beginning at EPA, Matthew has identified cleaner production opportunities for Victorian manufacturers and has gained financial support from the HazWaste Fund to implement a number of these projects.

In the future, Matthew wants to gain the widest possible experience in sustainable development, from direct community action, private enterprise, to government. He is excited by the prospect of the broader community living sustainably.

Matthew is keen to work with and learn from everyone in the Fellowship Program. He hopes to enhance his leadership skills and build his knowledge in sustainability.

Chloe Hanson-Boyd

Chloe is a final year Chemical Engineering and Science student at the University of Melbourne. She is heavily involved with Engineers Without Borders and also writes sustainability curriculum to be integrated into engineering streams under the new Melbourne Model.

Her interest in sustainability has stemmed from a long term interest in the natural world, having completed a major in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. After returning from a placement researching the environmental effects of mining operations in Kazakhstan, Chloe realised the importance of embedded sustainable engineering design and the social misconceptions among many cultures, including our own, worldwide. She became involved with EWB and initiated a program called the Cambodia Development Education Experience, giving a small group of technically minded students the opportunity to travel to Cambodia to look at the role of appropriate technology and sustainable design on social, environmental and economic levels.

During her time with the Fellowship Program, Chloe is looking forward to expanding her knowledge of sustainability and becoming a part of the forward-thinking leaders who comprise the Centre for Sustainability Leadership.

Tamsin Olejnik

Tamsin works with EPA as a Client Relationship Manager, engaging Victorian businesses on sustainable business opportunities.

On learning of the concept of environmental sustainability as a teenager, Tamsin knew instantly that this was the area for her. A trained Earth Scientist, she gained a Masters in Applied Environmental Geology in South Wales, where the devastating impacts of historic human activity on the environment are all too apparent.

She subsequently joined the Energy Saving Trust, one of the UK’s leading climate change organisations – where she found being surrounded by like-minded, impassioned people, exhilarating. There she worked on programs, including Sustainable Travel, Energy Efficiency and Evaluation before relocating to Australia.

Tamsin is looking forward to building her leadership capability through the Fellowship Program, with a view to support the integration of sustainability into Victorian industry.  She also looks forward to meeting a group of truly inspirational people.

Sheree Marris

Sheree is an Aquatic Scientist and works as an environmental communicator writing books, documentaries and making engaging environmental projects. Rumours have it that Sheree is the love child of the Little Mermaid and David Attenborough. While her paternity has not been verified, she does posses many of their qualities. While empowering people so that they can make a difference, she is working to bypass the doom and gloom that is spread in the media by making the environment fun, sexy and entertaining.

Sheree want to use the media in a greater capacity to spread environmental/natural history messages and she knows that the Centre for Sustainability Leadership’s Fellowship Program will provide a great learning platform for achieving that. More importantly she is excited about getting to work with like-minded individuals and being mentored by industry experts.

Amanda Wealands

Amanda works in a small environmental consulting firm that specialises in environmental water management, waterway rehabilitation and planning. While her background is engineering, she is more involved in the strategic planning and evaluation side of things these days. Amanda is currently working on a range of projects, including the design of a constructed storm water treatment wetland, the determination and negotiation of environmental flows for a range of flow-stressed rivers and the evaluation of waterway rehabilitation programs.

Aside from Amanda’s everyday work, she is keen to give the professionals in her industry a greater voice so they can collectively improve the way our rivers are managed.  Amanda is working on this through the River Basin Management Society and is looking forward to gaining the skills to really influence change through the Fellowship Program.

Ronnie Lake

Ronnie is a Manager within Ernst & Young’s Advisory practice, specialising in Climate Change and Sustainability Services. In this role Ronnie assists clients in the public, private, not-for-profit and Government organisations to manage their sustainability risks.

Prior to joining Ernst & Young, Ronnie worked as the Environment Officer for Castalloy Manufacturing Limited, a company that manufactured components for Harley Davidson and Holden. Ronnie has also worked in the role of National Environment Officer for BAE Systems Limited as Environment Officer for the Hardy Wine Company Limited.

At a personal level, Ronnie looks forward to a future where he can be more deeply involved in the community to promote and facilitate positive and sustainable change. At a professional level, Ronnie aspires to be a senior sustainability executive within a large and progressive corporate.

Phillippa Howard

Phillippa is a graduate Architect working for Woodhead Architects on a range of small and medium sized projects which implement sustainable design as first principles.

Phillippa has a strong interest in the role of sustainability in the design of early childhood ‘learnscapes’. Her other interest is Regenerative Design, which moves beyond sustainability predicated on efficiency, towards sustainability based on active and positive contribution. The concept of Regenerative Design is relatively new and it is her  goal to both evolve and promote its application. She has begun this process through tutoring a Regenerative Design studio to Masters of Architecture students at The University of Melbourne.

In the future Phillippa would like to be involved in designing and implementing policies that inspire widespread urban regeneration.

Ellen Sandell

Ellen is currently the Victorian Director of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) and runs AYCC’s national schools program. Ellen is the founder of the award-winning high school Leadership in Environmental Action Program (LEAP) and has represented Australian youth at two United Nations climate change conferences.

In 2007, Ellen was the Environment Officer in the University of Melbourne Student Union and was instrumental in getting the University to commit to carbon neutrality. In 2008 Ellen won the Pride of Australia Medal, a Telstra Environment Award and the British Council Emerging Leaders Award. She was also a finalist in the Australian of the Year Awards.

Ellen has helped re-introduce numbats to the bush, been a research scientist at the CSIRO and has a science and arts degree from the University of Melbourne.  She has also worked as a Policy Adviser to the Victorian Premier in the Office of Climate Change.

Robbie McEwan

Robbie is an ex-train driver from Aotearoa New Zealand who switched from 1600mm track gauge to 16mm film gauge in 2006. In that year he moved to Australia to attend the Victorian College of the Arts School of Film and Television. Now he’s trying to transport people in a more esoteric sense through narratives. Besides the railways he has worked as a producer for New Zealand Public Radio, written for magazines and received awards for many short films.

Robbie has been involved in activism since George Bush invaded Iraq when he was nine (the first time round). He went on to engage with environmental, social justice and queer issues and actions he has organised have drawn international media attention.

Through the Fellowship Program, Robbie would like to explore ways of making film a more effective change agent by developing new models of distribution. He would also like to gain a better understanding of the corporate sector and the science and economics behind proposed methods of curbing climate change.

Oliver Costello

Oliver has had a time of transition this past year which has inspired him to take on many challenges, such as taking on the UTS Student Association Indigenous Officer, National Union of Students (NUS) NSW Indigenous Officer, UTS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Club Block Student Liaison Officer and Indigenous Intern/ Campaigns Assistant at GetUp! Action for Australia positions.

Oliver aims to play a key role in the development of socially inclusive sustainable communities and organisations. This will involve constructing enhanced sustainable systems to support communities and the environment.

When deciding in 2008 to enrol in the Bachelor of Arts in Adult Education and Community Management at the University of Technology, Sydney, he considered the need for change within himself and also the need for change within our society.

Oliver has a strong sense of pride and responsibility as an Aboriginal person to both the communities and environments of Australia and the world. He believes that his participation in the Centre for Sustainability Leadership Fellowship Program will be paramount in him achieving his goals of effecting real change.

Erin Cini

Erin is an Environmental Engineer who works for an engineering consulting company. In her professional role Erin has developed the NSW Guidelines for grey water Reuse in Sewered Single Household Residential Premises (published March 2007). And over the last two years, whilst working in South East Queensland, she was involved in the implementation of multi-criteria analysis to assess infrastructure and material options for South East Queensland’s Water Grid projects.

In her current volunteer role as the National President of the Australian Water Association (AWA) Young Water Professionals (YWP) Specialist Network, Erin is working within the water industry to develop and implement programs to promote sustainability and climate change.

Michael Alvisse

Michael is an ‘eco-preneur’ and co-founder of sustainable furniture company, Schamburg + Alvisse. S+A supply eco furniture to green procurement leaders Westpac, the Australian Government and Unilever. Established in 1996, S+A make furniture from recycled post-consumer plastic and are Australia’s first FSC-certified furniture maker to be listed on Greenpeace’s “Good Wood Guide”. S+A won the Powerhouse Museum’s Sustainability Award and is listed in the world’s hot 100 design studios in Charlotte & Peter Fiell’s “Designing the 21st Century” (http://www.schamburgalvisse.com.au)

Michael has a background in architecture and a keen interest in indoor air quality and human well-being. He is a volunteer lifesaver with Tamarama Surf Life Saving Club, where he serves as Deputy President. Prior to this, he served four years as executive director of education, teaching life saving skills.

Michael aims to facilitate sustainable new eco-ventures that build a happy & healthy planet, and seeks energetic, like-minded collaborators. He offers skills in eco-venture start-ups, marketing, environmental management systems and staying ahead of emerging sustainability standards. If you’d like tips on starting up your own successful eco-venture on a shoestring budget, he’s happily plied with coffee and a winning smile.

Paul Ferris

Paul is the Inclusivity Director at the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, and a fifth year Arts/Law student at the University of Sydney.

Paul attended the 2008 United Nations Climate Negations in Poland, the 2007 United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development in New York and took part in the Youth 2020 Summit. Prior to this, he was also involved in the Australian Student Environment Network.

He has founded and published a progressive student resource magazine, assisted in setting up a community legal centre, and worked in the area of Native Title law. He has studied at UC Berkeley in America and Thammas at University in Thailand.

After studying international law in the Netherlands, he hopes to use his skills in the environmental NGO sector. He likes riding and fixing bikes, and is excited by building and being a part of sustainable communities.

Aaron Fuller

Aaron is in the process of starting a revolution. He is completing his Masters in Environmental Management this year and has a bunch of initiatives he is going to launch. These initiatives are aimed at ensuring there is a planet left for our grandchildren, theirs and so on.

He is passionate about social change and environmental sustainability. Action is not a choice, it is our obligation.

Ross Harding

Ross loves architecture, renewable energy and passive design. He works with all three.

Last year he spent time working on the CUB site in Chippendale. Most of that time involved trying to push the limits of sustainability in terms of energy, water and waste.

Ross lived in Sweden for a year and learnt how far behind we really are in Australia. He believes in global warming but doesn’t mind if it is not true, he is more interested in the idea of living within our means. He also loathes fossil fuels and won’t be satisfied with his career until they are a thing of the past.

Ross lives by the Kenyan proverb, ‘We do not inherit the earth from our parents; we borrow it from our children’. He hopes that the Fellowship Program will help him help future generations.

Daniel Sturrock

Daniel has worked for Macquarie for ten years in renewable energy development. He is now seeking to continue working in the area of sustainability at a more entrepreneurial level. He has always been interested in conservation and environmental causes and is looking for an opportunity to improve these causes using his skills, contacts and enthusiasm.

Daniel hopes the Fellowship Program will enhance his skills, help him to build contacts and provide him with the direction he needs to further his ambitions in sustainability.

Lauren Rogge

Lauren currently works as a consultant with Ernst and Young’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services team in Sydney. Since joining Ernst & Young, she has been involved in a range of assurance and advisory projects across the energy, oil and gas, media and manufacturing industries in the areas of sustainability reporting, greenhouse gas and carbon markets and emissions trading.

Her role at Ernst & Young gives her the opportunity to assist businesses in understanding their reporting obligations, as well as to develop strategies to integrate sustainability and carbon management into their business practices.

Lauren has studied Commerce (Liberal Studies) and Law, majoring in Economics, Labour Law and Environmental Law. By participating in the Centre for Sustainability Leadership Fellowship Program, she hopes to further develop her understanding of the sustainability issues facing Australia and the world. She looks forward to the opportunity to meet and establish networks with like-minded professionals with a shared passion for talking sustainability.

Alexandra Graham

Alexandra is currently working for the Australian Conservation Foundation coordinating the outreach program, GreenHome, for NSW. As the program continually evolves to meet the needs of the Australian environment and community, so does she.

Her career has covered a variety of roles, all aimed towards protecting our valuable, natural ecosystems. From working as a wildlife vet nurse, to making environmental educational films for children, Alexandra has thrived on challenges that force her to revaluate and improve on her ways of thinking and achieving goals.

Alexandra wishes to build on her career so that she can contribute towards building an environmentally sustainable Australia. She trusts that she will further develop her natural leadership qualities as a consequence of completing the Fellowship Program so that she can positively influence the GreenHome program, the ACF and the Australian community as a whole.

Alicia Maynard

Alicia works as a Sustainability Manager in building design, construction and corporate sustainability. Her workplace has recently published its inaugural sustainability report, which is a fundamental step in establishing a commitment to sustainability.

She aims to work on pushing the sustainability movement further both in design and corporate operations, and sees education as being the only way to do this. Therefore, through the Centre for Sustainability Leadership’s Fellowship Program she not only wants to learn effective leadership skills and refine her personal development, but she also wants to be able to inspire and lead people to choose a sustainable future.

Jacqueline Taylor

Jacqueline is currently a consultant at Energetics, consulting businesses on adapting to a low emission economy. Prior to joining Energetics, she was an environmental lawyer at a large commercial law firm. It was here, during her first days in the corporate world, that she became outraged at the lack of Corporate Environmental Responsibility, especially with regard to paper use. This reignited her passion for environmental issues and triggered her to undertake a chain of activity – including establishing the national Sustainability Policy, undertaking a secondment to the Environment Defenders Office and challenging the Minister’s decision to approve the Tamar Valley Pulp Mill, as a member of Lawyers for Forests.

She considers herself a mainstream environmentalist and is looking forward to helping society reach the climate change action ‘tipping point’, she is hoping that the Centre for Sustainability Leadership Fellowship Program equips her with the skills to achieve this.

Angela Mayer

Angela decided that she wanted to have a bigger impact on environmental issues after having worked with an advertising agency for ten years. Instead of helping to promote luxurious products, she wanted to help find ways to make people understand in an easy and fun way that there are issues that have a deeper and more sustainable impact on our day to day life. As the Communications Officer at Clean Up Australia she is doing exactly that, showing the community that they can make a real difference.

The Fellowship Program will give her the opportunity to learn more about sustainability, deepen her knowledge in communicating environmental issues and to start a network of like-minded business people.

Kate Robinson

Kate is a Senior Legal Officer in the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC). She has honour degrees in law and geology, and a masters degree in environmental law. Kate has also worked for two judges of the NSW Land and Environment Court. Her work as an environmental lawyer within the public sector contributes to a more sustainable world because she has the opportunity to contribute to preventing and discouraging unsustainable practices.

In January 2009, Kate visited Antarctica which has further inspired and contributed to her wish to have a greater impact on making the world more sustainable. She saw clear impacts of climate change first hand on a pristine environment.

Kate hopes that the Fellowship Program will help develop her skills and knowledge in relation to sustainability as well as providing her with further direction and purpose.

Kate Parsons

Kate currently works with the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change assisting NSW Health to improve their sustainability, focusing on water and energy efficiency. Outside work she mentors, manages a team effort to reduce water and energy use at a local church, sings with a couple of choirs and tries to minimise her own ecological footprint.

Whilst in the UK Kate project managed the creation of the UK’s largest solar village and the first rooftop wind turbines on a council building. She has also worked on the development of a hot water system rebate and setting NSW Government’s greenhouse reduction targets. Kate has engaged people using art and theatre to create their community vision.

From the Fellowship Program she hopes to learn a leadership style that empowers, involves and values people most affected by climate change in creating a more sustainable Australia.

Justin Medcalf

Justin is a Sustainable Investment Consultant. However, he doesn’t only concentrate on where funds should be invested, but on reforming companies/funds to ensure they apply Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles to their operations or investment policy.

Over the years, Justin has volunteered for numerous NGOs, but is now mainly involved with The Wilderness Society and The Watershed, where he is a keen promoter of SuperActivism and Wormfarming.

He is the Founder of GEM Advisers, a new dynamic financial planning firm that aims to inform and empower everyday Australians to invest in a better future.

He feels extremely excited and fortunate to not only be starting his own firm but to get the added support from the Centre for Sustainability Leadership Fellowship Program and his new peers.

Marnie Kikken

Marnie works for the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, coordinating a sustainability education program which utilises the innovative approach of ‘deliberative democracy’ which enables everyday citizens in NSW to contribute to policy development on climate change at both a local and state level.

As part of the NCC team since 2005, she has been national coordinator of Walk Against Warming and coordinated capacity building programs and skills workshops for community environment groups and local councils.

She has a background in tourism and spent over four years in awe of our natural environment as she travelled through Europe, Africa, South America and New Zealand from 1999 – 2004.

Marnie believes that informed community input should guide government decision making and would like to continue working on programs which effectively engage the community on environmental issues.

She hopes the Fellowship Program increases her confidence and vigor, and nurtures her professional and personal growth so that she will become an effective, infectious leader who contributes significantly to the environment movement and to creating lasting change, and who inspires others to do the same.

Lindsay Soutar

Lindsay is a founding member of a local climate action group, Climate Action Newtown, which works to educate and activate the local community on climate change as well as press government for real solutions. Professionally, she is the NSW State Manager of the Cities for Climate Protection Program with ICLEI Oceania, supporting local governments around the state in their efforts to reduce council and community greenhouse gas emissions.

With recent climate science outlining the need for immediate and deep emissions reductions in order to avoid severe and irreversible consequences of climate change, both Lindsay’s professional and personal life are devoted to promoting strong action on climate change.

Previously, she has worked as a researcher and educator on a range of issues including Australian aid policy, Mekong regional development and river basin management, with organisations such as the Australian Mekong Resource Centre, Oxfam Australia, Inland Rivers Network and universities in Thailand and Laos.

Lindsay sees the Fellowship Program as an opportunity to gain skills and confidence to help build the strong and dynamic community climate movement now emerging in Australia.

Lucian McElwain

Lucian works as the Manager of Conservation Programs and Partnerships with the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change.

Lucian, his partner Julia, and their chooks have recently moved back to Sydney, after living in Wellington for six years – a small town in rural NSW. He has over fifteen years experience in natural resource management, most recently leading the implementation of the native vegetation reforms. Previously Lucian worked for Greening Australia, and an urban Catchment Management Committee.

At university, Lucian was the president of the Students Environmental Alliance, and coordinated a carpooling scheme with 250 participants.

Lucian wants to influence the sustainable management of biodiversity and native vegetation. Lucian will be exploring ethical decision-making during his time with the Centre for Sustainability Leadership’s Fellowship Program. It also offers him the chance to share ideas with other people who have an interest in sustainability, and also be challenged by different points of view.

Sara Haghdoosti

Sara is a 22 year old Sydney University student about to begin her honours in English Literature. Sara is active in student activities within the University as well as in extra-curricular organising. On Campus, Sara has participated in the University of Sydney Debating Society and was the executive of the SRC.

Having always been passionate about issues of social justice, and particularly women’s rights, Sara has been making great strides within the women’s movement. She was on the organising committee for ‘Reclaim the Night’ protests against sexual violence in 2007-2008, is an active member of UNIFEM and is in the organising collective for International Women’s Day 2009. She also is actively involved in Immigrant Women’s Speakout in NSW, helping women overcome common obstacles when they first arrive in Australia.

Meg Ivory

Meg has been working for Greenpeace as a Local Community Organiser since January 2008. In this time she has been working with the grassroots climate movement and helped to organise many events including the Climate Action Summit in February 2009.

Meg has been working in the environment movement since she began fundraising for Greenpeace at the age of 19. Since then she has worked in virtually every area of the ENGO movement, from accounts, to campaigns and everything in between.

Meg has been lucky enough to be involved in some amazing campaigns in her time. Working on toxic waste disposal in Botany and Homebush Bays, the transport of nuclear waste from Lucas Heights in Sydney to France, Peace issues, campaigning to prevent the import of genetically modified materials into Australia and of course climate change.

Meg is thoroughly looking forward to gaining more skills to bring to the environment movement through the Fellowship Program.

Rachel Mimmo

Rachel works at the Nature Conservation Council of NSW as the Climate Challenge Coordinator. Rachel’s path into sustainability is a little unusual. She worked at a large corporate law firm in the UK for nearly five years before immigrating out to Australia in April 2008.

In May that year she set out on an eco-pioneering adventure around Australia, with her husband, using waste cooking oil to fuel her car rather than diesel or petrol. Their aim was to travel the whole way around Australia with a low carbon footprint. On returning from their amazing journey, she knew that she wanted to take a break from the law and join an organisation where she made a difference.

The main thing Rachel wants to gain from the Fellowship Program is to learn new ways in which she can make a difference to people’s lives, both in the organisation and in the Community, and gain a fuller understanding of all the complex issues of sustainability. Rachel wants her voice to count.

Alexia Wellbelove

Alexia is currently a Program Officer at the Humane Society International working on a wide range of marine and terrestrial policy issues. In late 2008 she returned to Australia with her English husband to live in Sydney, after 21 years in the UK.

In the UK, Alexia was Director of Wildlife and Countryside Link, an umbrella body that brings together environmental voluntary organisations, providing them with a safe forum to discuss policies and giving them one voice with which to lobby Government. She was also an active participant of a number of UK voluntary groups including the London Bat Group, where she served as Chair for a number of years.

Alexia is looking forward to playing an active role in the environmental movement in Australia. With a keen interest in animals, ideally this will involve leading on environmental and animal welfare issues.

Melissa Macpherson

Melissa currently works for the Australian Charities Fund, a not-for-profit organisation which exists to engage and motivate companies and their employees to give of their money and their time to support charitable organisations and community initiatives.

Melissa has twelve years experience in banking and finance, project management and strategy across the corporate and not-for-profit sectors spanning four continents.

Melissa has always held a strong interest in Community and the Environment and has volunteered with several not-for-profits throughout her career.

During her time at the Fellowship Program, Melissa wants to meet, learn and work in teams with other motivated, intelligent and passionate people focused on effecting positive change and maximising environmental outcomes. She is keen to improve her ability and lead her corporate and community networks towards embracing sustainable solutions. She hopes to become more creative in her ability to disseminate information around sustainability and wants to inspire more people to take on her journey.